Seven things that your organization can do right now to infuse empathy into every customer touchpoint.

2. Igniting empathy is an essential component of
research, strategy, and creativity.
In our work with clients, we’ve learned that
understanding the customer through deep
insight is only half the battle. Instilling real
empathy into your organization is as
much, if not more, about how insights are
communicated.
Borrowing from our heritage in journalism,
we’ve compiled 7 Keys to Igniting Empathy
to positively impact your organization, and
infuse empathetic understanding into every
customer touchpoint.

3. About Kelton Global
Kelton Global is an insights and strategy
consultancy with deep experience in
research. We blend a broad range of
approaches to generate smart, actionable
solutions that help brands move confidently
into the future. Founded by journalists,
compelling storytelling and empathetic
understanding are at the core of everything
that we do.

4. Empathy is everyday
mind reading.
Empathy requires an awareness of the
feelings and emotions of others, and the
ability to experience them through the
power of imagination.
Empathy has two components:
The ability to sense
emotion in others.
Inference:1.
Using imagination to "try on"
the feelings of another.
Perspective-taking:2.

5. Organizational
Empathy transforms
the way companies
operate.
Optimize to meet core human needs.
Product
Align on customer-driven priorities.
Decision Making
Anticipate customer needs and reactions.
Agility
Customer-centric motivation.
Authenticity
Organizational Empathy improves:

6. Your Brain On
Storytelling
Journalists have known it for centuries and now
science has proven it: compelling narratives
create empathy.
When neuroscientists study empathy, they find
that facts contained in narratives are more likely
to stimulate feelings of empathy than facts alone.
In fact, narrative stories change our brain
chemistry, triggering a release of chemicals
related to care, compassion and empathy.

7. – IRA GLASS, THIS AMERICAN LIFE
The story is a machine for empathy. In
contrast to logic or reason, a story is about
emotion that gets staged over a sequence of
moments, so you empathize with the
characters without really thinking about it
too much. It is a really powerful tool for
imagining yourself in other people's
situations.

9. Develop
Workplace
Empathy
Find and hire people with
emotional intelligence.
Foster empathy among your staff
by prioritizing listening skills,
leveraging diversity and
valuing service.
Practice empathy by developing
others through mentoring
and feedback.

10. Go for the
Head Shot
Develop strong central characters
to drive the story and carry the
emotion.
Let consumers reveal something
deeper about themselves and their
character by making them feel
comfortable, safe, and confident
enough to share their story.
Everyone has one.
Choose stories wisely - you don’t
need to focus on the extreme or
the fringe. Normal people can tell
just as interesting of a story, if you
let them.

11. Context gives your audience a
framework for understanding.
Zoom out to survey the big picture
before you hone in on specific
experiences.
Use Cultural Insights to place your
customer in a broader context,
identify emerging trends, and plan
for the future.
Provide
Context

12. Use Detail
Strategically
Avoid the overwhelming data
dump. Think like a journalist.
Curate your findings so that the
most important takeaways
stand out.
Reveal memorable details to make
stories stand out.
Focus on the right facts: truths
about consumers or the
challenges at hand.
Use imagery and information
design to add meaning and
impact.

13. Include the
“So What”
Do the work to have an informed
opinion about what your
research means.
Leverage multiple sources of
information for perspective.
Explore practical business
implications in a meaningful way.

14. Disrupt
Delivery
Communicate using deliverables
that are surprising, engaging
and intimate.
Think like a media outlet and
re-invent your deliverables.
Tell a story that your audience can
hear. Consider your audience’s
mindset and workload.
Deliver insights in smaller, bite
sized pieces so that they are
more memorable.

15. Ask More
of Your
Audience
Challenge them to actively
participate in empathy creation.
Ignite process with a well told
story.
Provide tools that engage your
audience. Don’t present findings:
workshop them.
Treat your audience like
decision-makers: make them think.

16. – SUSAN SONTAG
Empathy is about feeling into them. It is the
displacement of ego from the center of one’s
consciousness, involving the broadening
of one’s understanding that results
from the adoption of another’s
perspective.

17. The story starts with you.
Exercise Your
Empathy Muscles
This summary is adapted from a larger presentation.
We welcome the opportunity to talk
organizational empathy with you in greater detail.
+1.310.479.4040 | contact@keltonglobal.com